I've been a fan of Green Lantern since I realized he was a superhero who wore my favorite color, and had it in his name (but he also appeared in Super Friends, which Green Arrow did not). He was a favorite action figure. When I got my first comics, they featured Hal Jordan, a reprint of his first appearance (Showcase #22), an old issue featuring Hector Hammond (Green Lantern #177), a reprint of the start of the Green Lantern/Green Arrow road stories (Green Lantern #76). At the time it was not cool to be a fan of Green Lantern. I learned this because I took my meager collection with me to a school activity period that I got to select as featuring comic books. All the other kids were wild about Punisher, a typical 1990s "gritty" character.
Eventually I got to read comics of a more contemporary kind, and the memorably surreal (in hindsight downright Vertigo-ian) first issue of Green Lantern Mosaic was among them, plus some Hal Jordan stories featuring the likes of Evil Star. But when I had the chance to read on a regular basis, it was at the time of Superman's return from the dead, which memorably featured the destruction of Coast City. I still have no idea why Green Lantern was a part of that story, because to this day the two franchises still have very little to do with one another. (Just one of the many things I would work on should I ever have the chance to write Green Lantern for myself.)
This led to Hal Jordan becoming Parallax. It was a memorable time for me. I had Mart Nodell, the creator of the original Green Lantern Alan Scott, sketch his distinctive lamp on the cover of Zero Hour #0, which was the end of the biggest Parallax story other than "Emerald Twilight," which saw the aftermath of Coast City's destruction as Jordan went on a rampage, obliterating the Green Lantern Corps, murdering the Guardians of the Universe, and absorbing the Central Power Battery, which was the move that ostensibly created Parallax.
Ron Marz then got to introduce readers to the "torchbearer" Kyle Rayner, who found himself in possession of the last Green Lantern power ring, bestowed upon him by the last Guardian, Ganthet. Kyle was my Green Lantern, at least in the sense that he was the first one I read with any consistency. For me, it was a really good time to be a fan of the franchise, although I was certainly aware that many fans were annoyed enough to carry a torch of their own for the "right interpretation" of Hal Jordan for years.
For me, though, this period inspired a different interpretation of Green Lantern lore. As other readers in the letters columns of the time pointed out, it was almost as if DC had turned this franchise into its very own Star Wars. Up to this point, Green Lantern has certainly been familiar as well as memorable. Along with the Flash, it was Hal Jordan's introduction that helped usher the Silver Age. Hal in fact appropriated Alan Scott's oath ("In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight! Let those who worship evil's might beware my power, Green Lantern's light!"), which was just one of the many ways the mythology began to form around him. There was also Hal's unique origin, which introduced the entire concept of the Green Lantern Corps. Here wasn't simply someone who represented himself, but an entire legion of similarly powered heroes throughout the galaxy. It's still unique enough that I'm not sure wide audiences are ready to embrace it, one of the reasons why Green Lantern the movie turned out to be a popular failure (although of course reductionist and reactionary theory will have it that the movie itself was to blame).
Hal had been replaced as Earth's (or rather, Sector 2814) before Kyle, first by the impetuous Guy Gardner and then by the more cerebral John Stewart, both of whom were original candidates to assume Abin Sur's ring. Both remain key parts of Green Lantern lore. There's also Sinestro, Hal's worst enemy and former mentor, as well as former Greatest Green Lantern Ever. He's also the originator of the yellow ring of fear, which would later be appropriated by Guy Gardner (but ultimately replaced by alien DNA that transformed him into Warrior for a time).
Sinestro's the real key, and half the reason why I'm writing about all this right now. The part that made the Kyle Rayner era of the franchise seem like the DC version of Star Wars was that a lasting story in this saga had been reached, a flashpoint if you will. And half the reason why most fans are actually happy about it now is that Hal Jordan has since recovered from his bout of Parallax, all thanks to Geoff Johns and Green Lantern: Rebirth.
Before getting to that, it's worth going over the rest of Hal's story before this point. Following Zero Hour Hal had a shot of redemption when he sacrificed himself to save Earth in The Final Night. That still, incredibly, wasn't the end of his story. In Geoff's own Day of Judgment (finally being collected this year) he became the new host of the Spectre, DC's Spirit of Vengeance, the avatar of God's judgment, and in fact starred in an ongoing series in this role. DC had moved on, but apparently couldn't move past Hal Jordan as a featured member of its universe, even if he had been by some accounts been irredeemably ruined as a character by going the full Vader.
And to give you an idea of what I had at one time considered the cinematic version of Green Lantern, I would literally have made a trilogy of films involving the rise and fall of Hal Jordan, including the rise of Kyle Rayner as his replacement. In 1999/2000, I was pretty obsessed with this idea.
Green Lantern: Rebirth chronicles how Hal emerged from the spectre, as it were, of Parallax by revealing what Parallax actually was. He was the personification of fear, ensnared by the Guardians early on in the history of the Green Lantern Corps and trapped in the Central Power Battery. Parallax then becomes the source of the infamous yellow impurity, which for a time meant that Green Lantern power rings were literally powerless against the color yellow (which when coupled with Alan Scott's similar weakness to wood, led to the Big Bang Theory joke of being able to defeat both iterations of Green Lantern with a No. 2 pencil).
All of which is to say that Geoff reveals in Rebirth that what really happened during "Emerald Twilight" was that Parallax took hold of Hal Jordan following the destruction of Coast City, an event that made the hero formerly known for not having fear to be controlled by it. In some circles this has been dismissed as a classic example of a "retcon" (retroactive continuity), but it's really the first sign that Geoff really understood not just what had come before him in Green Lantern lore, but its infinite possibilities, most of which had never even been considered. His subsequent years with the franchise have been incredibly fruitful to this effect, including Sinestro's expanded significance and his recent activities post-New 52.
It's worth noting that in the pages of Rebirth are perhaps Black Hand's last pages as a laughingstock villain. If you need proof of how awesome he has become since that time and haven't been reading recent adventures, see Blackest Night for perhaps the definitive example.
Rereading Rebirth is an affirmation that Geoff absolutely nailed it. I was not a fanatical fan of Hal Jordan. I appreciated his sporadic appearances in Kyle Rayner's adventures, and his significance in Green Lantern lore, but when the stories moved on so did I. He never went away, though. In one guise or another Hal's story continued, and then Rebirth tied everything together, and "Emerald Twilight" if anything became even more significant in hindsight, the first part of a greater saga in some ways concluded by Rebirth.
The Green Lantern franchise has under the auspices of Geoff Johns expanded to the point where most comic book fans will no longer scoff at it. DC believed it had reached a sufficient level of respect so that general audiences might also come to appreciate it, get beyond the fact that Green Lantern contradicts most of what most people think about superheroes. Green Lantern offers its own version of Parallax, which may be part of the reason comic book fans themselves were reluctant to embrace it, but it does hit the key development of Sinestro when he puts on the yellow ring in the closing credits. I thought that alone would have enticed audiences to overcome any other objections, and realize what a grand saga Green Lantern represents, because they're all about grand sagas of a different kind with the Avengers cycle and Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight.
If you're reluctant about Green Lantern yourself, start with Rebirth. It'll give you an idea of the grand scope, the rich history Geoff Johns brought together, the endless possibilities. Sometimes the only story worth telling about any superhero seems to be their origin, and that's part of why so many of the movies based on them do exactly that. Green Lantern has at least one more.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Reading Comics #88 "Rogues Revenge"
Maybe Susan Soares can explain it better than me, but for some reason I ended up following her posts on Facebook a few years back on Sky Pirates of Valendor, a comic book written by her husband Everett Soares. For me, Facebook is a random sea of adventures like that, a placer where an errant "like" will get you a steady stream of updates about things you may or may not end up caring about. (Actually, Facebook is a lot like blogging. And tweeting. And email. Let's just say it's a problem with all social media.)
I did not, however, start reading Sky Pirates, and kind of felt bad about that. I don't tend to automatically read just anything I've found on the Internet, since there's so much material out there and even when I'm selective about things I've had a chance to select personally rather than stumble across, the reward isn't always there. Sometimes there's real treasure to be found this way, which was how I ended up reading one of my favorite books of the new millennium's first decade, TM Wells' The Patron Saints (more of a punk literature experience than religious tract, in case the title misleads you), not to mention discovering Manny Trembley.
Long story short, this Facebook experience with Sky Pirates continued for a while and I did not read Sky Pirates, though I looked it up a few times just to see what I was missing. A few weeks ago I was perusing the material at Muse Comics in Colorado Springs when I saw they had a selection of used books, older graphic novels at reduced prices. And randomly, there was Sky Pirates of Valendor Volume 1. The only thing more random than this is the fact that Moya Dawson, an old colleague from the defunct PaperbackReader.com, is quoted on the back cover, which may in a roundabout way explain how I ended up following Sky Pirates on Facebook (as good a theory as any at this point).
Sky Pirates Volume 1 was published by Free Lunch Comics in December 2009, so it's certainly been floating around for a while. If you want to know an even more remarkable detail that I could not possibly have contrived, the second volume is apparently due to be published this month, so this is actually an odd kind of publicity.
Now, you probably want to know what the heck Sky Pirates is. It's basically an indy comic that's in the vein of sci-fi TV shows like Farscape, Andromeda, and Firefly, about a group of rogues trying to scrape together a living by taking on the contracts that will keep their ship in business. As the title implies, they are indeed pirates who fly a sky ship. It's science fiction and fantasy and steampunk. There are elves and ogres and big giant bears acting like Chewie, specifically first officer Bryan Springhammer, who faithfully supports Captain Tobin Manheim, while Tobin's ex-wife (though this point is not made clear in the actual stories) Gearz along with Shyni are the token babes. (Actually, Brian Brinlee's art in this volume takes the comic book stereotype of strippers representing the basic framework of most characters pretty seriously, male and female. The art is not the main selling point. It's merely serviceable.)
Probably since Star Wars there have been plenty of stories like this. In fact, there's every indication that Sky Pirates was also inspired by its obvious immediate pop culture predecessor, the Pirates of the Caribbean films. While I still have you thinking about screen parallels, I might as well say that Sky Pirates could easily be a TV show itself, and with its odd mix of genres would still be unique.
I've got to say that I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy Volume 1. Soares is pretty good at establishing his characters, or at least the dynamics between them, and thus world-building. And as Keith R.A. DeCandido's introduction makes clear, it also has the appeal of pirates. I love pirates. Most people love pirates. And there are still so very few good pirate comic books. Plus Bryan Springhammer is a big giant bear, or as DeCandido describes him a teddy bear. All those TV shows I talked about had their (more or less) human versions of Chewie. At least Sky Pirates isn't so bashful about stealing that element of Star Wars more directly.
I can only recommend you at least be open to stumbling across Sky Pirates of Valendor the way I did. You'll thank your good fortune. It'll be the rogues revenge all over again.
I did not, however, start reading Sky Pirates, and kind of felt bad about that. I don't tend to automatically read just anything I've found on the Internet, since there's so much material out there and even when I'm selective about things I've had a chance to select personally rather than stumble across, the reward isn't always there. Sometimes there's real treasure to be found this way, which was how I ended up reading one of my favorite books of the new millennium's first decade, TM Wells' The Patron Saints (more of a punk literature experience than religious tract, in case the title misleads you), not to mention discovering Manny Trembley.
Long story short, this Facebook experience with Sky Pirates continued for a while and I did not read Sky Pirates, though I looked it up a few times just to see what I was missing. A few weeks ago I was perusing the material at Muse Comics in Colorado Springs when I saw they had a selection of used books, older graphic novels at reduced prices. And randomly, there was Sky Pirates of Valendor Volume 1. The only thing more random than this is the fact that Moya Dawson, an old colleague from the defunct PaperbackReader.com, is quoted on the back cover, which may in a roundabout way explain how I ended up following Sky Pirates on Facebook (as good a theory as any at this point).
Sky Pirates Volume 1 was published by Free Lunch Comics in December 2009, so it's certainly been floating around for a while. If you want to know an even more remarkable detail that I could not possibly have contrived, the second volume is apparently due to be published this month, so this is actually an odd kind of publicity.
Now, you probably want to know what the heck Sky Pirates is. It's basically an indy comic that's in the vein of sci-fi TV shows like Farscape, Andromeda, and Firefly, about a group of rogues trying to scrape together a living by taking on the contracts that will keep their ship in business. As the title implies, they are indeed pirates who fly a sky ship. It's science fiction and fantasy and steampunk. There are elves and ogres and big giant bears acting like Chewie, specifically first officer Bryan Springhammer, who faithfully supports Captain Tobin Manheim, while Tobin's ex-wife (though this point is not made clear in the actual stories) Gearz along with Shyni are the token babes. (Actually, Brian Brinlee's art in this volume takes the comic book stereotype of strippers representing the basic framework of most characters pretty seriously, male and female. The art is not the main selling point. It's merely serviceable.)
Probably since Star Wars there have been plenty of stories like this. In fact, there's every indication that Sky Pirates was also inspired by its obvious immediate pop culture predecessor, the Pirates of the Caribbean films. While I still have you thinking about screen parallels, I might as well say that Sky Pirates could easily be a TV show itself, and with its odd mix of genres would still be unique.
I've got to say that I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy Volume 1. Soares is pretty good at establishing his characters, or at least the dynamics between them, and thus world-building. And as Keith R.A. DeCandido's introduction makes clear, it also has the appeal of pirates. I love pirates. Most people love pirates. And there are still so very few good pirate comic books. Plus Bryan Springhammer is a big giant bear, or as DeCandido describes him a teddy bear. All those TV shows I talked about had their (more or less) human versions of Chewie. At least Sky Pirates isn't so bashful about stealing that element of Star Wars more directly.
I can only recommend you at least be open to stumbling across Sky Pirates of Valendor the way I did. You'll thank your good fortune. It'll be the rogues revenge all over again.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Batman and Robin #15 (DC)
writer: Peter J. Tomasi
artist: Patrick Gleason
The secret to the success of Batman and Robin these days is that it's secretly really only Robin. If that weren't clear enough already, then this tie-in with "Death of the Family" should make it insanely obvious to anyone. Damian Wayne is undoubtedly a keeper.
Of course, what helps make this series such a success is the dynamic duo of Pete Tomasi and Patrick Gleason, who have been a crack team for years, but are only now just reaching the peak of their collaboration. It's a rare instance of a supporting book in a crossover event anchored by a far more famous title (Scott Snyder's Batman) decisively stealing the show, and it's all because of Damian's confrontation with the Joker.
Part of what makes it work so well is Gleason's art, which may have never looked better than in this issue. His worthy subject, apparently, is the Joker's gruesome new appearance. Gleason is no stranger to strange, having put in his time with plenty of aliens in Green Lantern Corps (the source of his collaboration with Tomasi), but he seems to have found new levels of inspiration depicting the face-as-a-mask version of the Joker, flies abuzzing and all. It's really quite remarkable. I've long appreciated his work, but this is seriously his best.
Of course, it's the psychological duel between Joker and the latest incarnation of Robin that takes center stage. After murdering Jason Todd in "Death in the Family," it was kind of hard to see where Joker could go next, other than the sensational maiming of Batgirl. He became a signature foe for Tim Drake in the series of mini-series that led to the first Robin series, but otherwise disappeared off the radar.
So it's no wonder that Snyder chose to depict his comeback as a war against the Batman family, and with so many Robins running around, the Joker is like a kid in a candy store. It does strain credulity that he would have the energy to torment all of them at more or less the same time (a conceptual weak point in this event that is thematically so similar to Snyder's previous "Night of the Owls"), but if we get to have Joker meet Damian, then all the better. Although of course they did previously encounter each other in a previous incarnation of Batman and Robin under the auspices of Grant Morrison. But the Joker was biding his time, apparently for this. He wasn't exactly himself.
(Although the joke of the character is that he can have any personality he wants.)
The challenge for every writer in this event is to present Joker in such a way that he seems immediately relevant, striking personally at each of the members of the Batman family. Some of his targets are more obvious. Damian certainly isn't. And he's also the one character who isn't afraid of the Joker.
At times Tomasi and Gleason have forgotten that their best feature in this series is Damian, and when they aren't inspired it's obvious. But when they are, they produce their best work, and this is the best of the best, belying the common adage that a crossover produces perfunctory material. Creators who don't mind accepting a challenge will be able to work with anything. Well, these guys have recognized that the Joker at his best is capable of the best, and...as I'm sure you suspect by now, I'm pretty high on this issue. It's probably the mandatory reading of "Death of the Family," with all apologies to Snyder.
artist: Patrick Gleason
The secret to the success of Batman and Robin these days is that it's secretly really only Robin. If that weren't clear enough already, then this tie-in with "Death of the Family" should make it insanely obvious to anyone. Damian Wayne is undoubtedly a keeper.
Of course, what helps make this series such a success is the dynamic duo of Pete Tomasi and Patrick Gleason, who have been a crack team for years, but are only now just reaching the peak of their collaboration. It's a rare instance of a supporting book in a crossover event anchored by a far more famous title (Scott Snyder's Batman) decisively stealing the show, and it's all because of Damian's confrontation with the Joker.
Part of what makes it work so well is Gleason's art, which may have never looked better than in this issue. His worthy subject, apparently, is the Joker's gruesome new appearance. Gleason is no stranger to strange, having put in his time with plenty of aliens in Green Lantern Corps (the source of his collaboration with Tomasi), but he seems to have found new levels of inspiration depicting the face-as-a-mask version of the Joker, flies abuzzing and all. It's really quite remarkable. I've long appreciated his work, but this is seriously his best.
Of course, it's the psychological duel between Joker and the latest incarnation of Robin that takes center stage. After murdering Jason Todd in "Death in the Family," it was kind of hard to see where Joker could go next, other than the sensational maiming of Batgirl. He became a signature foe for Tim Drake in the series of mini-series that led to the first Robin series, but otherwise disappeared off the radar.
So it's no wonder that Snyder chose to depict his comeback as a war against the Batman family, and with so many Robins running around, the Joker is like a kid in a candy store. It does strain credulity that he would have the energy to torment all of them at more or less the same time (a conceptual weak point in this event that is thematically so similar to Snyder's previous "Night of the Owls"), but if we get to have Joker meet Damian, then all the better. Although of course they did previously encounter each other in a previous incarnation of Batman and Robin under the auspices of Grant Morrison. But the Joker was biding his time, apparently for this. He wasn't exactly himself.
(Although the joke of the character is that he can have any personality he wants.)
The challenge for every writer in this event is to present Joker in such a way that he seems immediately relevant, striking personally at each of the members of the Batman family. Some of his targets are more obvious. Damian certainly isn't. And he's also the one character who isn't afraid of the Joker.
At times Tomasi and Gleason have forgotten that their best feature in this series is Damian, and when they aren't inspired it's obvious. But when they are, they produce their best work, and this is the best of the best, belying the common adage that a crossover produces perfunctory material. Creators who don't mind accepting a challenge will be able to work with anything. Well, these guys have recognized that the Joker at his best is capable of the best, and...as I'm sure you suspect by now, I'm pretty high on this issue. It's probably the mandatory reading of "Death of the Family," with all apologies to Snyder.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Batman Incorporated #5 (DC)
writer: Grant Morrison
artist: Chris Burnham
The most memorable single issue of Dark Knight adventures that Grant Morrison has written to date is Batman #666, which flashes forward to the future, where Damian Wayne has assumed the famous mantle. In many ways it's a preview of how Morrison would later write both incarnations of Batman Incorporated, having fun writing as normal a Dark Knight adventure as he can. This was more evident in the first volume, because in the second it's become more apparent that all of this is leading somewhere.
So it's only appropriate that we finally revisit that world of tomorrow. The twist this time is that it's a manifestation of Bruce Wayne's, the current and iconic Batman, fears of the future, specifically of Damian, the current Robin, inheriting the cowl. Much like the post-Crisis on Infinite Earths version of Jason Todd (who ended up being killed off in "Death in the Family" but later returned as the new Red Hood, a role he still inhabits), Bruce sees a bad future for Robin, and as much as he's been motivated since the events of "R.I.P." to expand his legacy to include the more active participation of others, he now seems just as concerned to make sure that his own son doesn't bring things back full circle, a Batman who functions alone, and thus more dangerously.
It's a great spin on Batman #666, and as I've suggested is a strong indication that Morrison has been deliberately unfolding the story begun with his introduction of Damian from the start, even when it's seemed like the story has gone off in other directions. That's a good argument for the Batman Incorporated reboot that occurred last year, because it allowed Morrison an opportunity to begin a fresh statement without undoing what he'd previously done, much as the transition to Batman and Robin helped put the focus back on Damian in the first place.
Batman Incorporated #5 may not be standalone essential like Batman #666, but in the grand scheme, it's essential to the greater arc Morrison has been weaving since Batman #655 in 2006.
artist: Chris Burnham
(via dccomics.com)
The most memorable single issue of Dark Knight adventures that Grant Morrison has written to date is Batman #666, which flashes forward to the future, where Damian Wayne has assumed the famous mantle. In many ways it's a preview of how Morrison would later write both incarnations of Batman Incorporated, having fun writing as normal a Dark Knight adventure as he can. This was more evident in the first volume, because in the second it's become more apparent that all of this is leading somewhere.
So it's only appropriate that we finally revisit that world of tomorrow. The twist this time is that it's a manifestation of Bruce Wayne's, the current and iconic Batman, fears of the future, specifically of Damian, the current Robin, inheriting the cowl. Much like the post-Crisis on Infinite Earths version of Jason Todd (who ended up being killed off in "Death in the Family" but later returned as the new Red Hood, a role he still inhabits), Bruce sees a bad future for Robin, and as much as he's been motivated since the events of "R.I.P." to expand his legacy to include the more active participation of others, he now seems just as concerned to make sure that his own son doesn't bring things back full circle, a Batman who functions alone, and thus more dangerously.
It's a great spin on Batman #666, and as I've suggested is a strong indication that Morrison has been deliberately unfolding the story begun with his introduction of Damian from the start, even when it's seemed like the story has gone off in other directions. That's a good argument for the Batman Incorporated reboot that occurred last year, because it allowed Morrison an opportunity to begin a fresh statement without undoing what he'd previously done, much as the transition to Batman and Robin helped put the focus back on Damian in the first place.
Batman Incorporated #5 may not be standalone essential like Batman #666, but in the grand scheme, it's essential to the greater arc Morrison has been weaving since Batman #655 in 2006.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Reading Comics #87 "Sergio's Simpsons & Zahn's Star Wars"
Last fall I did the unthinkable and sold my comic book collection. And a few weeks ago, I discovered a remnant of that period of collecting that I really had completely forgotten about, probably because I'd set them aside to write about at some point. Well, now here we are, closing that loop.
I bought Simpsons Comics Presents Bart Simpson #50 when it was released, which was in 2009, although I might have gotten it in 2010, from Borders, where I worked for five years. There was a point where I wrote about the comics I read and bought from Borders, for another website, because it was unusual for me to be working somewhere that sold comics and I figured I might as well exploit it. This particular issue was notable because, as the subtitle suggests, "Mad About Sergio," which means that this was an issue created entirely by Mad veteran Sergio Aragones.
Sergio is a legend not just because of his contributions to Mad, but also for his creation of Groo, who is more or less the idiot version of Conan the Barbarian. Sergio collaborated a number of times with DC, but this issue for Bongo is pretty unique in that it combines two different-but-not-as-much-as-you-might-think comedic traditions, Matt Groening's Simpsons and Sergio Aragones.
If you've never read Sergio, he specializes in incidental slapstick situations, in which Murphy's Law is in full effect, so that anything that can go wrong will. One of the surprising things is that his distinctive art works exceptionally well in the Simpsons style. He does adapt to expectations, but for the most part you definitely know that you're reading a Sergio comic. There are four stories of varying length, two that are wordless and feature Maggie, the baby who never grows up, and two that feature Bart, his pal Milhouse, and various other denizens of Springfield, the first about their abortive attempts to build a rocket that quickly spiral out of control when everyone (EVERYONE) becomes involved and the second about a school trip to the circus that Bart and pals try to improve upon and fail miserably.
It's a milestone confluence of creation and creator. This is probably not something South Park or Family Guy, two erstwhile would-be successors to the Simpsons, could do, and speaks to the continuing strength of Groening's creations. That and the phrase "best [adlib] ever" freely adapted from Comic Book Guy, which everyone says now. (He actually began this meme by saying "worst [adlib] ever, and then switched to "best" when describing death by mylar.)
The other comic book was a more deliberate attempt to save for writing about later, because I'm always thinking about the comic books that come as part of a package deal, usually with an action figure or DVD. It's Star Wars - Heir to the Empire #1, based on the Timothy Zahn book that gave birth to the modern expanded universe in the franchise (which some fans have supported as material for Episode VII).
The most obvious problem that developed for Heir to the Empire was that George Lucas later contradicted at least one major element of Zahn's story, which was his conception of the Clone Wars. In Heir (and its subsequent sequels), the clones in question were of Jedi, notably represented by Jorus C'Baoth, not Jango Fett as later revealed in Attack of the Clones. Say what you will, but to make the mysterious Clone Wars about the origins of the distinctive but anonymous Storm Troopers was something no fan, not even one who wrote official books, would have been able to come up with. The other major detail of Heir is Grand Admiral Thrawn, the last great Imperial figure, although he deviates notably from Star Wars lore established well before the prequels in that he is not human. Zahn also establishes Mara Jade, the erstwhile lover of Luke Skywalker, as well as Han and Leia's twins, who would go on to star in their own series of books as the next generation of Jedi (and wrinkle in the Skywalker legacy).
When Heir was first released in 1991 (this comic book, or at least the version released with action figures, dates to 2007), I was still eagerly reading fiction based on screen properties and wasn't much critical about it. Now I will barely touch the stuff. There are thematic flaws, inconsistencies with the source material, that their creators never seem to consider, and I'm not just talking details that can be contradicted, but things like Thrawn being an alien when every other Imperial officer was human. Still, it's interesting to revisit this story, and see some of it depicted in images. I do still have the action figures, who proudly stand on one of my bookshelves, one of them being Thrawn and the other Talon Karrde (Captain Pellaeon is the other notable character from this adventure), who is more or less Zahn's version of Han Solo (Shadows of the Empire has another variation on Han, because apparently he's everyone favorite character from Star Wars).
The added bonus of finding these is that I actually reread some of my old comics, the only thought that makes me feel better about not having my old collection. Although now of course I'd love to reread those comics...
I bought Simpsons Comics Presents Bart Simpson #50 when it was released, which was in 2009, although I might have gotten it in 2010, from Borders, where I worked for five years. There was a point where I wrote about the comics I read and bought from Borders, for another website, because it was unusual for me to be working somewhere that sold comics and I figured I might as well exploit it. This particular issue was notable because, as the subtitle suggests, "Mad About Sergio," which means that this was an issue created entirely by Mad veteran Sergio Aragones.
Sergio is a legend not just because of his contributions to Mad, but also for his creation of Groo, who is more or less the idiot version of Conan the Barbarian. Sergio collaborated a number of times with DC, but this issue for Bongo is pretty unique in that it combines two different-but-not-as-much-as-you-might-think comedic traditions, Matt Groening's Simpsons and Sergio Aragones.
If you've never read Sergio, he specializes in incidental slapstick situations, in which Murphy's Law is in full effect, so that anything that can go wrong will. One of the surprising things is that his distinctive art works exceptionally well in the Simpsons style. He does adapt to expectations, but for the most part you definitely know that you're reading a Sergio comic. There are four stories of varying length, two that are wordless and feature Maggie, the baby who never grows up, and two that feature Bart, his pal Milhouse, and various other denizens of Springfield, the first about their abortive attempts to build a rocket that quickly spiral out of control when everyone (EVERYONE) becomes involved and the second about a school trip to the circus that Bart and pals try to improve upon and fail miserably.
It's a milestone confluence of creation and creator. This is probably not something South Park or Family Guy, two erstwhile would-be successors to the Simpsons, could do, and speaks to the continuing strength of Groening's creations. That and the phrase "best [adlib] ever" freely adapted from Comic Book Guy, which everyone says now. (He actually began this meme by saying "worst [adlib] ever, and then switched to "best" when describing death by mylar.)
The other comic book was a more deliberate attempt to save for writing about later, because I'm always thinking about the comic books that come as part of a package deal, usually with an action figure or DVD. It's Star Wars - Heir to the Empire #1, based on the Timothy Zahn book that gave birth to the modern expanded universe in the franchise (which some fans have supported as material for Episode VII).
The most obvious problem that developed for Heir to the Empire was that George Lucas later contradicted at least one major element of Zahn's story, which was his conception of the Clone Wars. In Heir (and its subsequent sequels), the clones in question were of Jedi, notably represented by Jorus C'Baoth, not Jango Fett as later revealed in Attack of the Clones. Say what you will, but to make the mysterious Clone Wars about the origins of the distinctive but anonymous Storm Troopers was something no fan, not even one who wrote official books, would have been able to come up with. The other major detail of Heir is Grand Admiral Thrawn, the last great Imperial figure, although he deviates notably from Star Wars lore established well before the prequels in that he is not human. Zahn also establishes Mara Jade, the erstwhile lover of Luke Skywalker, as well as Han and Leia's twins, who would go on to star in their own series of books as the next generation of Jedi (and wrinkle in the Skywalker legacy).
When Heir was first released in 1991 (this comic book, or at least the version released with action figures, dates to 2007), I was still eagerly reading fiction based on screen properties and wasn't much critical about it. Now I will barely touch the stuff. There are thematic flaws, inconsistencies with the source material, that their creators never seem to consider, and I'm not just talking details that can be contradicted, but things like Thrawn being an alien when every other Imperial officer was human. Still, it's interesting to revisit this story, and see some of it depicted in images. I do still have the action figures, who proudly stand on one of my bookshelves, one of them being Thrawn and the other Talon Karrde (Captain Pellaeon is the other notable character from this adventure), who is more or less Zahn's version of Han Solo (Shadows of the Empire has another variation on Han, because apparently he's everyone favorite character from Star Wars).
The added bonus of finding these is that I actually reread some of my old comics, the only thought that makes me feel better about not having my old collection. Although now of course I'd love to reread those comics...
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Batman: Arkham City - End Game #1 (DC)
writer: Derek Fridolfs
artist: Jason Shawn Alexander
It's hard to find a Joker story you really like. Especially after The Dark Knight, in which Heath Ledger brilliantly reimagined the character. In the comics, killing Robin and maiming Batgirl made Joker pretty infamous in the 1980s...and kind of hard to write after that. I mean, what does he does for an encore?
I read a version of an origin story, "Lovers and Madmen" from the pages of the short-lived Batman Confidential, that I really liked, and Grant Morrison used Joker sporadically, but aside from Arkham Asylum seemed reluctant to explore the character much further, other than as Batman's opposite number. Scott Snyder has brought him back in a big way for "Death of the Family," but for me, the recent Joker story that stands out is purely out of continuity, and is featured in a comic book based on a video game.
Now, for some people, "comic book based on a video game" can be a good thing, because they love said video game. For others, it means that the story will be instantly irrelevant. Yet out-of-continuity is not always a bad thing. DC made some really good stories of that nature with its Elseworlds line. You can almost think of this comic as an Elseworlds story. It features the death of the Joker.
And yet, because it's Joker, that's not the end of the story. Derek Fridolfs has been using his comics based on video games to write the stories he wants to write rather than stories based on video games. Here he's found his masterstroke, the ultimate out of continuity story. The Joker is set free by his death, and is thus free to push Batman to his limits. End Game is an extra-sized story, culled from material previously presented online, and as such is the very same kind of statement event as "Death of the Family."
Does Batman survive? That's not even a guarantee, and in fact the story teases that more than one monumental career ends. Jason Shawn Alexander's moody art helps set the tone. This could have been a movie, if Heath Ledger hadn't died, perhaps even The Dark Knight Rises in a totally different interpretation. (I still contend that Paul Giamatti, perhaps only as a voice, could have continued Ledger's Joker.)
Anyway, it's brilliant, it really is, a must-read Batman story regardless of how much you know about the video game that helped make it possible.
artist: Jason Shawn Alexander
(via dccomics.com)
It's hard to find a Joker story you really like. Especially after The Dark Knight, in which Heath Ledger brilliantly reimagined the character. In the comics, killing Robin and maiming Batgirl made Joker pretty infamous in the 1980s...and kind of hard to write after that. I mean, what does he does for an encore?
I read a version of an origin story, "Lovers and Madmen" from the pages of the short-lived Batman Confidential, that I really liked, and Grant Morrison used Joker sporadically, but aside from Arkham Asylum seemed reluctant to explore the character much further, other than as Batman's opposite number. Scott Snyder has brought him back in a big way for "Death of the Family," but for me, the recent Joker story that stands out is purely out of continuity, and is featured in a comic book based on a video game.
Now, for some people, "comic book based on a video game" can be a good thing, because they love said video game. For others, it means that the story will be instantly irrelevant. Yet out-of-continuity is not always a bad thing. DC made some really good stories of that nature with its Elseworlds line. You can almost think of this comic as an Elseworlds story. It features the death of the Joker.
And yet, because it's Joker, that's not the end of the story. Derek Fridolfs has been using his comics based on video games to write the stories he wants to write rather than stories based on video games. Here he's found his masterstroke, the ultimate out of continuity story. The Joker is set free by his death, and is thus free to push Batman to his limits. End Game is an extra-sized story, culled from material previously presented online, and as such is the very same kind of statement event as "Death of the Family."
Does Batman survive? That's not even a guarantee, and in fact the story teases that more than one monumental career ends. Jason Shawn Alexander's moody art helps set the tone. This could have been a movie, if Heath Ledger hadn't died, perhaps even The Dark Knight Rises in a totally different interpretation. (I still contend that Paul Giamatti, perhaps only as a voice, could have continued Ledger's Joker.)
Anyway, it's brilliant, it really is, a must-read Batman story regardless of how much you know about the video game that helped make it possible.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Avengers #34 (Marvel)
writer: Brian Michael Bendis
artist: various
artist: various
(from weeklycomicbookreview.com)
The significance of this issue (along with New Avengers #34) is that it is Brian Michael Bendis' final issue of Avengers after writing the team in various incarnations since 2004.
Bendis has a massive essay at the end of the issue detailing this relationship, hitting up its highlights and origins. Suffice it to say, but I did not read every issue (he has a count of 232), and in fact very few of them. Here's a very brief recap, though: "Avengers Disassembled," House of M, New Avengers, Mighty Avengers, Dark Avengers, New Avengers, Avengers.
Anyway, not to be reductive, but the first three will remain his legacy with the team that has lately stormed the box office. "Disassembled" was the story that, as the title implies, took the team apart, famously killing off (for a while) Hawkeye. House of M was basically a very early preview of Bendis's X-Men. New Avengers was where he took the Justice League formula and more accurately the Grant Morrison JLA formula, and applied it to Earth's Mightiest Heroes. He brought Wolverine and Spider-Man, among other characters who had never been members to the Avengers, and in the process made it possible for just about every other character ever to be an Avenger.
This last issue is more or less about scaling it back to what the team was when he started. It features Wonder Man desperately trying to redeem himself. You may not know Wonder Man too well. He played a part in "Disassembled" and then went away. It also features the return of Janet Van Dyne, the Wasp, who was a founding member of the Avengers. Bendis' whole idea was to move the team away from its original concept and defining characters, although of course Iron Man was still around.
The catchphrase included in this issue is, "We go bigger" (although realistically it's impossible to go bigger than the team was in the Bendis era), uttered by Tony Stark, who is one of several characters who acts exactly in this comic the way he does in the movies (synergy!).
Bendis doesn't do a lot to make a closing statement other than undo everything he did and suggest other people will "go bigger" (by again, basically doing all of that over again). It's more implied. If you get it, that's great. Otherwise you might be forgiven to assume that this is just another issue of Avengers, aside from that massive essay.
One of the things I love about Marvel is that it still includes things like massive essays from incoming/outgoing creators, and also letters columns. Bendis is a big proponent of letters columns (although no letters column this issue), and you've got to admire that about him. Although I did not read all 232 issues, I think it's definitely worth marking his departure, although he's really only picking up a thread he laid down years ago, with a different franchise.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)